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153 Cards in this Set

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897
Describe the traditional view held re: the prevailing consitutional theory on the relationship of local governments to the state?

Based on the Unitary System, this theory holds that local governments are the creations of the state; powers, functions, and responsibilities that they exercise have been delegated or granted them by the state governments;
no local government has sovereigbn powers.

897
What is the name for the prinicple that no local governments have sovereign powers, functions, and responsibilities?

Dillon Rule

897
Who developed the theory of local government designed in part to strengthen the powers of the states, in which local sovereignty was rooted in the sovereignty of the individual?

Thomas Jefferson

898
What is the consitutional arrangement whereby authority rests with the central government regional governments have only those powers given them by the central government?

Unitary System

898
What is the principle holding that local governments are creations of state government and that their powers and responsibilities are defined by the state?

Dillon rule

898
Cite 2 examples where Texas mandated local governments to carry out state mandates?

1. local taxdollars for prisons
2. local taxdollars for raising state educational standards

898
In Texas, whose primary responsiblity is public education?

Local school districts

898
In Texas, whose primary is highways, public welfare, and public health?

898
In Texas, whose primary responsiblity is for the court and criminal justice system?

Counties and state

899
What was the percent of Texas population lived in cities in 1876 when Texas consitution was adopted?

10 percent

899
According to 1880 census, what was the largest city in Texas?

Galveston : 22,248

899
For most of the period from 1880-1920, what was Texas's largest city?

San Antonio

899
Since 1930, what has been Texas's largest city?

Houston

899
List the 3 out of the 10 largest cities in the US that are in Texas:

1. Houston
2. Dallas
3. San Antonio

899
How many incorporated municipalities are there in Texas:

1200

899
T or F
Texas is an urban state.

True

899
T or F
Few Texans live in cities.

False, most do.

899
What define the basic forms of city government in Texas?

1. constitution
2. statutory law

899
List the 2 general categories of Texas cities:

1. general law
2. home rule

899
What is the term for a city allowed to exercise only those powers specifically granted to it by the legislature?

General law

899
How many residents live in general law cities?

less than 5,000

900
T or F
General law cities have more restrictions in organizing their governments, setting taxes, and annexing territory than do home rule cities.

True

900
T or F
The minority of Texas cities are general law cities.

False, most are general law cities

900
Approx. how many Texas cities are general law cities?

885

900
What is the term used to describe a city with a population of more than 5,000, which can adopt any form of government residents choose, providede it does not conflict with the state consitution or statutes?

Home Rule city

900
What is the term used for the documnet, based on state authorization, which defines the structure, powers, and responsibilites of a city government?

900
List the 3 main forms of governments cities have experimented with:

1. mayor-council
2. council-manager
3. commission

900
In Texas how many cities operated with some variation of the mayor-council form of government?

900

900
How many Texas cities used some form of council-manager or commission-manager government?

280

900
How many Texas cities used the commission form of government?

Handful

900
What is the most common form of municipal government in Texas?

mayor-council

900
What country is the Texas mayor-council form of government based on?

English model of city government

900
In the mayor-council form of gov., which body has legislative responsibilities?

Council

900
In mayor-council form of gov. which body has executive responsibilities?

mayor

900
In mayor-council, in theory, who elects mayor

City wide elections

900
list the 2 distinguishable forms of mayor:

1. weak mayor
2. strong mayor

900
T or F
In Texas most cities have a strong mayor.

False

901
What determines a city mayor's strength?

City Charter

902
Which type of mayor is "the chief executive in name only?"

weak mayor

902
Which type of mayor clearly distinguishes between executive and legislative functions?

strong mayor

902
List the 2 Texas cities with strong mayor forms of government?

1. Houston
2. El Paso

902
List reasons why the strong mayor has been historically unpopular in Texas?

1. more often associated with political machines, ward politics, and political corruption;
2. reminders of deep distrust in government rooted in Reconstruction times;
3. Texas individualistic & traditionalistic subcultures reinforce hostile attitudes toward governmental institutions that are potentially more responsive to lower socioeconomic groups.

903
What is the term used to define a form of city government in which elecyted commissioners collectively serve as a city's policy-making bodyt and individually serve as adminstrative heads of different city departments?

City Commission

903
What Texas city originated the city commission form of government?

Galveston following the 1900 hurricane and flood

904
T or F
Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio have experimented with city commission forms of government.

True

905
List the term for the form of city government in which policy is set by an elected cityy council, which hires a professional city manager to head the daily administration of city government?

Council-manager

905
List the first cities in Texas to use council-manager government:

Amarillo
Terrell

907
List the 3 main factors that contribute to a city manager's overall effectiveness:

1. their relationships with their city councils;
2. their ability to develop support for their recommendations within the council and community without appearing to have gone beyond the scope of their authority;
3. the overall perception of their financial and managerial skills

908
What is the term for elections in which candidates do not represent a political party?

nonpartisan elections

908
T or F
Virtually every city in Texas elects its council in non-partisan elections?

True

909
T or F
To enforce separation of city elections from party politics most municipal elections are held at the same time party primaries or the general election occurs.

False, they are held at different times from the party primaries and general elections.

909
What is the term for an election systems under which officeholders are elected by voters in the entire city school district, or single-purpose district?

at large election

910
What is the form of an at-large election in which candidates run for specific positions, or places, on a city council or other governing body?

Place system

910
What is the term for elections that are required if no candidate receives an absolute majority of the votes cast in a city council, school district, or party primary race?

Runoff election

910
Who are the candidates in a runoff election, historically?

The top 2 vote getters

910
What is the name for a system in which city council members, legislators, or other public officials are elected from specific geographical areas?

Single-member district

910
T or F
Texas cities receive state appropriations for their needs.

False

910
Texas cities rely on what type of taxes to meet their needs?

Regressive taxes such as property taxes and fees.

910
T or F
The state of Texas limits the property tax rate that a city can impose.

True

911
What is a rollback election?

An election in which local voters can nullify a property tax increase that exceeds 8 percent in a given year.

911
What serves the public as a constraint on policy makers against raising taxes too high in Texas?

Rollback elections.

911
In 2002 what caused Texas cities to again face revenue pressures:

1. 9/11
2.state's economic slowdown in last half of 2001.

911
T or F
Texas cities are required by law to balance their operating budgets.

True

911
What is the money source for many municipal construction projects?

General obligation bonds

911
What is the term used for the method of borrowing money to pay for new construction projects,such as prisons,mental hospitals, or school facilities that require voter approval and that are repaid with tax revenue?

General Obligation bonds

911
What is the term used to describe the source of funds for projects that lead to income producing facilities that are repaid from the income produced by the facility?

revenue bonds

911
List examples of infrastructures:

1. streets
2. wast disposal systems
3. libraries

911
List atributes of Texas cities that made them the envy of eastern and midwestern cities during the 70's and 80's:

927
Cite examples of annexation and extraterritorial jurisdictions by local gov:

when local govs grow geographically by gobbling up unincorporated lands

927
What is the term for the authority of cities to add territory, subject to restrictions set by state law?

annexation

927
What is the term for the power of an incorporated city to control development within nearby unincorpporated areas?

extraterritorial jurisdiction

927
T or F
The powers of cities to annex have been shrinking over the past years by successful lobbying by the suburbs.

True

929
What is the term for exemptions from property taxes granted to certain business, usually to encourage them to move toor expand their operations in a city or county; the exemptions are granted for specific periods of time?

tax abatements

929
What is an enterprise zone?

an example of economic development, they are industrial development corporations form by counties to relax state regulatory policies to encourage the redevelopment of depressed areas and undeveloped areas, for ex. the land to the north of DFW

930
What is the term for a system of local government in which city and county governments consolidate to avoid duplication of public services?

metrogovernment

930
T or F
Metrogovernments are legal in Texas/

False, it was never passed by the legislature

930
What is the term for a specific area of a city in which property owners pay special taxesi return for improvement ot streets and other public facilities in their neighborhood?